21 comments:

Lego Shop-at-Home NXT personal order status just changed to "Shipped 24 June 2006". Within the last hour no less! Yeah!

So it appears that Shop-at-Home pre-orders are now shipping as well as pre-ordered Amazon/ToyRUs sets.

At this time the Amazon website says "This item is currently not available", which suggests a sold out inventory. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the Shop-at-Home web site change availability status to late August.

I called customer service at Lego, and was told that my tracking number would not work until Monday, but that my package was scheduled for Monday delivery, so the tracking number was not really useful.

Noon EST on Monday, and my tracking number still doesn't work. Says it's in the wrong format. Starts with 1Z then a bunch a numbers, but there is one letter in the middle. Wonder if that's screwing it up. It's supposed to be next day shipping, so I'll see if it shows up. Unfortunately, I'm over a 1000 miles away from home on business. =(

It's not uncommon for a company which is shipping out packages to create a tracking number and report it to the purchaser but... then the package sits in their loading dock until pickup.

It's happened to me before with software/PC game purchases. Keep an eye on it and if you haven't seen any movement by Wednesday morning, that's about when to start panicking. Until then, it's just in transit.

Just remember, they can't have a tracking number unless the process has at least started from the originator.

Lego Shop-at-Home sent me a shipping confirmation on Saturday morning, June 24th. Just now, Monday, June 26th at 6:20PM EST the tracking information has become available on the UPS web site. So it shows how slowly things progress over the weekend.

Yup.. looks like they applied the stickers with numbers on Saturday, but didn't actually ship them until today. I get mine tomorrow! (In spirit because, again, home is Virginia and I'm in Wisconsin.) CANT WAIT TILL THURSDAY!!!!!

Independently of the fact the kits will arrive way later in Europe, there's something about it which I think is a bit sad... Here isn't probably the best place to speak about it, but I can't be bothered searching for a better place. Anyway.

Delivery dates for the NXT in Europe depends essentially of the langage you choose: if you want an english kit, its estimated shipping date is August 7 (not that far away, sounds fair enough); but if you want another langague you're back to October 15.

That too sounds fair enough, translating the whole thing (especially if you want to have it done properly which is certainly the case with TLC) takes time, nothing to argue there.

The problem in my opinion is that the choice of languages you have (well, on S@H) is tied to your country of delivery - Belgium gets French/Dutch; France French only; Italy French/English; and so on.

Wouldn't it have been nice if everyone could choose the language they prefer, or at least choose an english kit if they wanted to? Or would it be too much of a logistical nightmare?

Frankly, I usually don't care much for french software (especially if it's badly translated, but again I don't think that'll be an issue here) and would very much prefer receiving an english kit; especially if I can get it months earlier. I'd even gladly give up the duracell batteries :-)

I believe that the language issue is not one you have with retailers, but one you have with your government.

In all of the cases you mention, don't those states (especially France) have an official language? By that, I mean that all commerce MUST occur in that language? I know Quebec has such limitations (all signs must include French, they MAY include English).

Here in the States we have a different problem. Without any official language, it's hit or miss. You can go to some ethnically populated neighborhoods and if you don't speak chinese, japanese, cantonese, korean, spanish, portugese or french you're out of luck.

Anyway - if things were done smartly, the language dependant portions of the software development suite are plugins, and thus should be easier to translate and change.

But I believe that LEGO is simply trying to comply with national requirements.

Another factor that may exist with the language issue is customer support. If LEGO distributes only french language sets in France, it sems likely they will have very few customer support calls with language issues. But if they ship an international version where the user must, at installation, select a language, this may significantly increase the number of customer support calls (remember, even if it's a fraction of 1%, it's a lot of calls).

I do not know the reasons for this decision (as was mentioned, I suspect at least portions of the SW are based on language modules), but I agree it would be nice to have a single international, multi-language version. I wonder what the true reasons are.

The other thing it's hard to believe is how much NXTs are going for on eBay... *already*!

I doubt regulations have anything to do about it - sure European countries do have official langaages, and some can be quite picky about it; but I don't think it poses any restrictions on what commerce can sell (not in Belgium in any case - if I want to buy, say, a new Mac* with Mac OS X in english, it's possible; and there are english bookshops, etc)

And if it was related to country official languages - the NXT should be available in german in Belgium, since it's an official language; and it isn't.

The support issue sounds more relevant; especially considering the AFOL market might not be the primary audience; it'll probably be way easier for kids to program the thing with a tool in their own language (for those who are lucky enough to have a translation - I envy Italy for having a possibility to buy the english kit; but I pity them for not having the possibility to buy an Italian one).

I suppose indeed that the vast majority of people will prefer the kit in their own language, and so it probably makes sense to do the marketing that way. In any case I still wish I would have had the choice, again especially given the delay difference. But maybe I'm only one of few who prefer having it now than having it translated. Ha well, I guess I'll just have to wait (and drool over everyone else's pictures).

I also wish I could get another language version afterwards - what if I really don't like the french version at all, and want the english one?

As for an international version - it sounds nice; and most of the time it can pick up the OS' language and select it by default (with a choice to do otherwise). Actually, the problem in localized software isn't much that it's not english - it's when you have some pieces in english, some in something else. If your OS is in english, it's easier if the rest is too. A mixed-languages dialog box is something stupid and it does happen way too often. (Especially when the box specifically says for example "click 'yes'" and you don't have a "yes" button)

Of course an international version would have delayed everyone a few months, and that's definitely not something we want.

Well, enough ranting :-)

* Speaking of Mac, the NXT requirements still speak of a PowerPC processor; are Intel-Macs supported natively by the NXT software?

Regarding Intel-Macs: Rule of thumb, if it's not in the "supported" list, assume it's not been tested, *BUT*... I think I remember one of the MDP trying it out on a new Intel-based Mac with positive results. I imagine if there are any support issues with the Intels, they will likely be ironed out rapidly.

Summary: I think it works fine on an Intel-Mac, but /i wouldn't rush out and buy it based on my memory :-)

in response to one of the anonymous comments– my tracking number didn't work originally, either

i got a tracking number for my NXT in an email on the 25th, but the number didn't work until the evening of the 26th. my NXT came the day after because i live fairly close to connecticut where there is a big LEGO factory (or warehouse?)

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